WHAT SPARKED OFF THE INVASION OF AMIN IN 1978?

WHAT SPARKED OFF THE INVASION OF AMIN IN 1978?

It is a fact that by 1978 there was no visible armed opposition threat to the Iddi Amin government. However, relations between Iddi Amin and Tanzania's Julius Nyerere remained irrepairably strained. Tanzania remained the base for most of the anti-Amin groups in exile though they were innactive by 1978. Liberation movements had been outlawed in Tanzania in 1977. The East African Community had broken up in 1977. Inside Uganda, the supperb and proffessional intelligence services had made it impossible for any kind of resistance to be organised on Uganda soil. There had been incidents of assasination attempts on Iddi Amin. In one of the incidents, the bullet missed Iddi Amin but hit his driver. In a rare show of extra-ordinary courage, President Iddi Amin reacted by jumping into the driver's seat and driving the injured driver to Mulago national hospital. It is believed that one of the assasination attempts was masterminded by Matayo Kyaligonza. He was later to become one of Museveni's top bush war commanders. To understand this, one needs to examine the history of Museveni's relationship with Kyaligonza. Also, within the Uganda Army, developed some cracks that that threatened rebellious sentiments. They were too minor to cause an impact on a proffessional and highly motivated national army that Iddi Amin had helped to build.

In Tanzania, Museveni maintained clandestine activities against the Iddi Amin government. He had rear bases in the Tanzania's north western region of Kagera bordering with Uganda. There he enjoyed the patronage of local migrant Rwandese Tutsis and Hima pastrolists. It is from here that in 1978 he skillfuly succeded in provoking an incident that led to crossborder clashes. On October 30th 1978, Amin ordered a full scale invasion of Tanzania to reclaim Tanzania's Kagera region. In his book, Sowing the Mustard Seed on page 93, Museveni says "Never since the Amin Coup of 1971 had I felt so bouyant as I did on the day following the invasion. I knew Amin was finished. I remember walking along .......going to consult with Sokoine (Prime Minister) with a complete feeling of complete satisfaction about future course of events." Museveni had provoked antagonism in the hope that Amin would attack and Tanzania would retaliate with a counter attack. Museveni was to use a similar method in fighting a guerilla war agains the Obote government years later. Museveni's political success is attributed to this incident. In recognition, he has built a multi million modern primary school in the area and named it Shule La Msingi Museveni (Museveni Primary School). He also enjoys a special personal attachement to to people of that region driven by ethinic considerations. For the same reasons, the people of Luwero Triangle in Uganda who helped Museveni during the bush war that brought him to power are yet to get tangible recognition 27 years down the road. Museveni gave priority to Kagera region inorder to secure the southern border. Now that the current political situation dictates that he secures Luwero triangle, he has hastly moved in to address their plight. 

The Uganda army invaded, overun and occupied the Kagera salient by declaring it to be part of Uganda. It caused alot of havoc and destruction of life and property. On Nov. 2nd 1978, Tanzania announced a counter attack to repel the invading Uganda army.

INFORMATION IS POWER.

Viele GruBe

Robukui